Golf club



R. STRASSER June 18, 1940.

GOLF CLUB Filed Sept. 26, 1938 INvENToR ROBERT muzea Jun; 18, 1940 UNITED "sTATl-:s

PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

The invention relates to a golf club for putting or chipping the ball on or adjacent to the green. In using the club, the player straddles the ball and may use either of two kinds of swings or a combination of both of these swings. In one swing. the club is raised backwardly and allowed to freely pivot downwardly. like a pendulum, with the club pivoting upon the flngers and without any force being exerted by the player. He may use a forcing stroke. if he chooses, to swing the club head downwardly for a longer shot or he may use partly a forcing and partly a pendulum stroke. The position of the player in straddling the ball and the variety of swings he may use aid materially in the accuracy of the player's putt and chip shots.

A principal object of the invention is to design a putter or golf club of the kind in which the player straddles the ball with handles on the club which enable the club head to be raised easily and without undue strain on the wrists, hands and arms. whereby more accurate control of the putting stroke results.

Another object of the'invention is to construct a putter having a straight face upon one side for putting and an inclined face upon the other side O for chipping or chip shots on the green, which putter is conveniently manipulated for either face of the head.

Another object of the invention is to construct a putter or golf club'of the type in which the player straddles the ball when striking the same, which putter has one or more devices thereon for aiding the player in aligning the club head with the ball so that increased accuracy results.

Other objects of the invention Will be more apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, showing preferred embodiments of the invention, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the putter or golf club showing a straight face upon one side thereof and an inclined face upon the other side, and also showing handles extending laterally with respect to the club head.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the putter illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top view showing the spaced handles extending laterally with respect to the putter head.

Figure 4 is a front elevation of a putter having a pair of shafts connecting the head with the handles and also having handles which are wider spaced than those illustrated in Figures l through 3.

Figure 5 is a top view of the putter of Figure 4 and illustrates particularly the handles extending laterally with respect to the club head.

The putter or golf club to be described herein is an improvement upon putters of the kind in 6 which the player straddles the golf ball 'and the club head swings between his legs when putting or chipping. This type of club is more accurate than the commonly used putter because the player will generally directly address the ball and the 10 hole. thereby enabling him to more accurately align the swing of the club With the direction of the hole into Winch he wishes to putt the ball. Putters and golf clubs of this form heretofore were awkward to manipulate or swing and, because of this, an unnecessary strain was thrown upon the wrists which rendered the club unsatisfactory because of the difliculty in making accurate shots therewith.

The golf club illustrated in Figures 1 through 3 has a shaft or shaft means Ill upon the lower end of which is secured a head H. The head has a straight face i2 upon one side thereof for putting, and an inclined face |3 on the other side thereof for chip shots and the like. The shaft IO is afllxed to the head' preferably centrally thereof and extends vertically upward therefrom. This distinguishes from the angularly extending shaft projecting from the end of the club head as in the ordinary putter. The upper end of the shaft IO carries a sidewardly extending bar or cross bar IS.

Spaced handles il extend from the cross bar i6 and laterally relatively to the head Il. The handles ll also extend forwardly of the shaft Ill. Another pair of like spaced handles |8 extend rearwardly from the bar IB. Obviously, both handles il and |8 together may be regarded as a single handle. Each pair of handles extends in a general direction laterally with respect to the head li. Only one pair of such handles is essential, although both pairs are desirable particularly since both faces of the club are adapted to be used. Where but one face of the club is constructed for striking the ball, there is less need for a pair of spaced handles extending both forwardly and rearwardly of the shaft and head.

The handles l'l and i8 are preferably spaced apart a distance such that the inner edges IS correspond or are in substantial alignment with the ends of the head ll. The inner edges of the handles. therefore, may serve as an aid or gauge for the player in centering the ball upon the club head when the latter is hidden behind the player M when he has swung it between his less to take a shot.

A pointer 2| is carried by the club at the upper end thereof. which polnter is in allgnment with the axls of the shaft means or shaft ||i and the center of the head With a club having a single shaft. the axis of the shaft means corresponds with the axis of the single shaft when centrally located. This pointer enables the player to allgn the club head with the ball when the head is concealed by the player's body when the club head is swung between his legs. Preferably a second like pointer 22 is provided in corresponding position upon the other side of the club from the pointer 2| for use when the other face of the head is used to strike the ball.

When the player swings the club head between his legs, it is hidden from his view and he cannot be certain that the shaft and the club head has not been tilted or given sldewise angularity in this backward swing. In order to assure that the club has been swung straight back without impartlng any lateral angularity to the shaft of the club, a liquid level 23 is mounted upon the cross bar |6 or at the upper end of the shaft. When the player swings this club backwardly, he centers the club upon the ball by means of the pointer 2| or 22 and then adjusts the club so that there is no iateral angularity in the club shaft by centering the bubble of the level 24. With these devices upon the club, very accurate putting and chip shots may be obtained even by the inexperienced.

The putter or golf club illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 has a head 21 which maybe like that illustrated in Figure l with both a straight putting face and an inclined chipping face, such as the faces |2 and |3. This club is provided with a pair of shafts 28 which comprise shaft means. and the axis of this shaft means lies between the two shafts 28. Although the shafts 2B are parallel, they need not be so positioned, and irr'espective of how they are positioned, the axis of the shaft means would lie midway therebetween and perpendicular to the center of the club head 21.

The club illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 also has a cross bar 3| at the upper end thereof. A forwardly extending pair of spaced handles 32 are carried by the cross bar and hence carried at the upper end of the shaft means. A second pair of spaced handles 33 are provided extending laterally and rearwardly of the cross bar 3| and also with respect to the head 21. The spaced handles 32 and 33 are carried by the shaft means through its attachment with the cross bar 3|.

The cross bar 3| carries a level 24 and pointers 2| and 22 which are the same as the like numbered parts in Figures l through 3. Their use is identical with their use upon the club of Figure l and consequently will not be described in detail. The pointers and level are at the upper end of the shaft means 28. It will be noted that the pointers 2| and 22 are in alignment with the axis of the shaft means or, in other words, are

normal to or at right angles to the center of the club head 21.

The handles 32 and 33 are spaced further apart than the handles iilustrated in Figure 3, and consequently the inside edges of these handles do not provide a dimension corresponding to the length of the club head 21. Although the handles may be used more or less roughly in centering the ball between the handles, they are not as accurate for this purpose since they are spread apart wider than the length of the club head 21. It is for this reason that the polnters 33, indicating the length of the head. are provided which are spaced apart a distance corresponding to the length of the club' head 21. These pointers serve as an accurate indicator for centering the ball upon the club head, in addition to the polnter 2|.

When using the putting face |2 of the club, the player may use either the forwardly extending `handles |1 or 32 or the rearwardly extending handles |3 or 33. Whenusing the chipping face |3 of the club, the now rearwardly extending handles |1 o r 32 or the now forwardly extending handles |3 or 33 may be used. The player may also grip both handles with the cross bar coming between two of the flngers of each hand. as desired. With any one of the three gr'ips, the player can swing the club head backwardly when straddllng the ball without undue strain on the wrists since it involves the normal pivoting action thereof. The handles also provide ample leverage to easily swing the club.

After the club head has been swung backwardly from the ball, the grip on the club handles may be released and the club will pivot solely by a pendulum action upon a pair of flngers resting beneath the handles about in alignment with the cross bar |6 or 3|. This pendulum stroke is generally used where the distance between the ball and the hole is not great. If a longer putt is needed, the club may be swung forwardly to hit the ball with any degree of power merely by swinging the club with the wrists. The position of the handles makes it easy to swing the club head backwardly and to swing it forwardly with any degree of power and, because the player straddles the ball, he can very easily align the ball with the hole and measurably increase the accuracy of his shots. As explained-herelnbefore, the accuracy of the shots is aided by the pointer 2| or 22 which is centered upon the ball when making the stroke,and the level assures that there is no lateral anguiarity of the shaft means when the club head is hidden by the body of the player when it is swung between his legs.

The, golf club illustrated and described herein can also be used successfuliy by the player strad dling the ball, but with his back to the hole. When the club is so used, the club is first aligned in proper position to swing the ball, whereupon the player takes a stance straddllng the ball with his back thereto and swings the club in much the same manner as he does when taking a forward facing stance. This manner of use will not customarily be employed.

This invention is presented to fill a need for improvements in a golf club. It is understood that various modiflcations in structure, as well as changes in mode of operation, assembly, and manner of use, may and often do occur to those skiled in the art, especially after benefiting from the teachings of an invention. Hence, it will be understood that this disclosure is illustrative of preferred means of embodying the invention in useful form by explaining the construction, operation and advantages thereof.

What is clalmed is:

1. A golf putter comprising shaft means, a head secured to the end of the shaft means and having a striking face with a longitudinal axis, said head being atright angles to the axis of the shaft means so that it can be swung by a player straddllng a bali.. a cross bar extending sldewise .from opposite sldes of the shaft means at the upper end thereof and parallel to the longltudlnal axls of the strlklng face, and a pair o! spaced handles carried by the cross bar, the handles extending' in a general dlrectlon laterally with respect to the longitudlnal axls of the strlking face of the head.

2. A golf putter comprising shaft means, a head secured to the end of the shaft means. said head having 8. strikng face with a longitudlnal axls, said head being at right angles to the axls of the shatt means so that lt can be swung by a player straddllng a ball, a pair of spaced handles carried by the shaft means at the upper end thereot. and the handles extendlng both forwardly and rearwardly of the shaft means in a general direction laterally with respect to the longitudlnal axis ot the striking face o! the head.

ROBERT STRASSER. 

